Our PM’S posturing
Re: It’s time to rejig Mideast policy — Irwin Cotler and Noah Lew, April 3
Justin Trudeau’s pronouncements on behalf of his government regarding the Israeli-hamas war and climate change have the striking similarity in that they are meaningless and inconsequential.
With regard to climate change, Trudeau asserts that his policies will have a meaningful effect. The fact of the matter is that, unless there is global adoption of these policies, Canada’s climate actions alone will be of no consequence whatsoever.
Similarly, Trudeau seems to think that his ban on the sale of military equipment to Israel will have an impact on Israel. The fact of the matter is that Israel sells far more military-related equipment to Canada than vice-versa and it is only U.S. policy that will have any influence. Again, like climate change, whatever Trudeau says or does with regard to the Israeli-hamas war will have no effect whatsoever.
Particular note should be taken of what Trudeau does not say or do. These exclusions show quite clearly that he is really not concerned with climate change or the protection of Palestinians. For example, his policies do not limit or ban the use of private jets or large yachts, with huge carbon footprints, used by wealthy elites, but rather, take aim at the use of gas-powered cars by ordinary people. Similarly, he allocates the entire responsibility to protect Israeli and Palestinian civilians to Israel and does not expect that Hamas should protect its civilians or that neighbouring Muslim countries take in Palestinian refugees.
Trudeau knows very well that his solitary actions on climate change are senseless and that there is no moral equivalence between the actions of Hamas and Israel. The only possible explanation is that he is an insincere and unprincipled politician who will posture in favour of any policy he thinks is politically advantageous.